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Fish Out of Water

Fish Out of Water English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Jul 20 2010

Themes: Soap Opera

Grammar: Used to Do vs Be Used to

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Have you ever felt like you just don’t belong somewhere? Ever since he helped Marni and Devan’s companies merge, Jeff has been working out of their office. But things were a lot different at the office where he used to work. He doesn’t seem to have much in common with the other employees. He’s having trouble fitting in.

Nonetheless, Jeff has been trying to make friends around the office. He tells Beren about how he has been feeling like a fish out of water. A fish out of water is someone who is out of their element, like a fish on land, and feels like their environment doesn’t suit them. Someone who overhears Jeff talking shows up and proves him right.

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Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jeff

Jeff

Beren

Beren

Jason

Jason

Jeff:  Hey, how’s it going, Beren? Do you have a moment?

Beren:  Just a second… I’m downloading some tunes. What’s up?

Jeff:  I was just curious, since the companies have merged I’m going to be working in this office…

Beren:  Are you excited? It’s fun! It’s fun over here, we love it!

Jeff:  I’ll be honest with you, I feel kind of like a fish out of water.

Beren:  Fish out of water. This is an unusual environment for you? You don’t feel comfortable or at home?

Jeff:  Um, yeah, it just really doesn’t suit me.

Beren:  Doesn’t suit you? What do you mean?

Jeff:  Well, speaking of, nobody wears suits around here. I’m used to that.

Beren:  Wearing a suit? You can wear a suit if you want to.

Jeff:  You guys are…

Beren:  But you don’t have to.

Jeff:  No offense, you’re dressed like bums. Well, that aside, I went to get a company car the other day. What’s with the expense accounts at this place?

Beren:  Expense accounts? No, no, no, no. We’re lucky if we get pizza parties once a month. There is no company car. But, there’s other perks, you know?

Jeff:  For instance?

Beren:  You don’t have to wear a suit! You can wear whatever you want.

Jeff:  I like wearing a suit.

Beren:  Okay. Sounds like this place is really alien to you. You are a fish out of water. Do you think you can come around? Try to fit in a little?

Jeff:  I guess. I’m not going to promise to like it.

Beren:  I can give you the IT guy’s number. You guys can carpool? It’s kind of like a company car?

Jeff:  No, no, no.

Beren:  Alright…

Jason:  Hey, new guy! Hold this! I guess you got some water now!

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Jeff reaches out to Beren to see if she can help him understand how his new office works. He’s used to a very serious work environment where everyone wears suits and there are company cars for the employees to drive. Since his new company is nothing like that, he fees like a fish out of water.

Beren suggests that maybe he could carpool with someone else from the office. Just then, Jason runs up with a giant bottle of water and hands it to Jeff. He’s so surprised, he almost falls over. Jason must have heard him say that he feels like a fish out of water and decided to pull a prank on him, thereby demonstrating that he is, in fact, a fish out of water.

Have you ever felt like a fish out of water? How did you learn to fit in?

 

Comments

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rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

to be in a new enviroment u always feels like a fish out of the water , but as time pass u can get fit in it and the result u will feel like a "dolphin in the water"

saludos.

04:33 PM Jul 20 2010 |

rebel lee

rebel lee

China

I have been working in the same office for about two years.I used to be a fish in the water.Since this april when I had a new boss,I became a fish out of water.She has nothing in common with the ex-boss.I can not work well with her.

Now I am quitting my job.I don't know what kind of job I will get,and I don't know what kind of people I will work with.I do hope I can fit in and become a part of the team.

02:53 PM Jul 20 2010 |

vivivi^^

vivivi^^

China

 i felt like a fish out of water in new language and culture.

12:57 PM Jul 20 2010 |

vivivi^^

vivivi^^

China

 i felt like a fish out of water in new language and culture.

12:56 PM Jul 20 2010 |

iwori

iwori

Japan

New environment is sometimes difficult to suit. When I was a 1st grade high school student, I couldn't fit that class and didn't want to go to school. Some times I was actually absent from school. It was tough experience for me, but now  I think that taught me that life is various.

12:56 PM Jul 20 2010 |

dongdongsi

China

everybody have to adupt the new environment with him own effortotherwise he will be a fish out of water~

11:04 AM Jul 20 2010 |

jecychen

jecychen

China

i’m a fish out of water

10:27 AM Jul 20 2010 |

bulentunal

Turkey

this is a good lesson.

10:20 AM Jul 20 2010 |

andee1

andee1

China

i was a fish iut of water in our company,but now is much better for me in it by 4years effort.and i very like carpooling to return home.

10:06 AM Jul 20 2010 |

zicpro

zicpro

Viet Nam

in my opinion, this is a cool lesson.

 i dont know why, maybe i read it when i did listen dance music on my computer.

 

oh my god. so cool. haha

09:42 AM Jul 20 2010 |

branden

branden

South Korea

sometimes, I feel a fish out of the water in this society. 

modern society ever changing. so, fitting in those society is important ,

from time to time, I have felt  being a lag behind others.

maybe, we all are afraid of lagging behind. 

09:29 AM Jul 20 2010 |

Anna Ko

Taiwan

Maybe u come to somewhere at firstime, u will feel unconfortable, and u can think u are a fish out of water. So, many people they want to a place where they come firstime, they will take a firend with him or her. This will let him or her feel more comfortable.

But I think "fish out of water" can make people be independent .Maybe u will feel ashamed or embarrassed.

08:37 AM Jul 20 2010 |

o.alkathiri

United Arab Emirates

From my side it can happen many times specially when you faced a new enviroment not as you were before so in the beginning you will feel hard to be one of fish out of water but when you adapt you  feel it was normal and easy.

07:50 AM Jul 20 2010 |

daditos_o0

daditos_o0

Chile

im a fish out of water !! =)

07:14 AM Jul 20 2010 |

asiruh46

asiruh46

Turkey

its perfect idiom and we have been used already.. "sudan çıkmış balığa dönmek" its means that there are different things in your new life and you dont adapt this.. finally you dont know that how can i fall into step with?? its worst thing in our life..

06:46 AM Jul 20 2010 |

m_mahboob

m_mahboob

Pakistan

The friends who replied to the subject matter before me has given the same feelings that I have.

 

Anyways, I will try to explain in my words, which is most important at the point of time.

 

The people who come to join a new place like office, school or city they always feel like a fish out of water and this is due to the new environment. If the environment suits them then they fit in very easily.

06:08 AM Jul 20 2010 |

anglorths

Viet Nam

Similarly, to put a round peg in a square hole is also used to describe such an awkward situation.

04:26 AM Jul 20 2010 |

ivyxie

ivyxie

China

maybe when people go to the new environment,such as new school,new city,new company,they will fell uncomfortalbe and fell like a fish out of water at first.but if you just try to fit in,and try to get used to,do in Rome as Rome does,it will work!

If you want to make change,change yourself at frist.

03:27 AM Jul 20 2010 |

Yaffle

Yaffle

China

when i was in high school ,i felt like a fish out of water because i went to a new city to have my lessons.i miss my family and i felt the environment didn't suit me.but i know i have to move on .in every one's life,we have to face new things and new environment ,so we should keep optimistic and active enough to fit in .at last,we will be sure get a lot of water.Tongue out

03:10 AM Jul 20 2010 |

ghaith abbas

Iraq

its an amazing stuff FISH OUT OF WATER

many times we feel such like that feeling specially when we forced to do something we don't like or when we are in inappropriate environments.

i think in such like this situation we have to know how to adapt with it in order to survive in a good manner and be happy for the rest of our life.

do u agree me guys?????

12:31 AM Jul 20 2010 |

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